Budget not sufficient for treating rare diseases: AIIMS to HC

AIIMS has told the Delhi High Court that its non-plan budget is only sufficient to procure commonly-used and emergency medical items and not for getting medicines for treatment of rare diseases.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) submitted in the Court that it is "constrained by time and budget to adhere to principle of maximum good for maximum people" as per which it procures and provides all items of highly-used and emergency care for common ailments.
"It is not possible, given current budgetary constraints, to include treatment of specific and rare diseases in this list as the non-plan budget of the hospital is only sufficient to ensure procurement of commonly-used and emergency items," it has said in an affidavit.

The affidavit, placed before Justice Rajiv Shakdher, came in response to a plea for free treatment to a street vendor's two-year-old son suffering from a rare genetic disorder, Gaucher's disease, treatment for which costs Rs 4.75 lakh per month.
The disease is a rare Lysosomal Storage Disorder wherein the body cannot process fat resulting in accumulation of fat around vital organs of the body.
AIIMS has said it will in the instant case provide every possible treatment to the child and will abide all directions of the court in this regard.
In its affidavit, AIIMS has said that a maximum of Rs 3000 is provided as financial assistance from 'AIIMS poor fund account' to those in need and said this sum is relevant for OPD patients.

Where requirement is more than Rs 3000 and the patient is genuinely poor to afford treatment, other options like Delhi Arogya Kosh, Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, the Health Minister's Discretionary Grant, the Prime Minister's and the Chief Minister's relief funds, etc are available.